July 12, 2026
OPENING
John 13:34-35 (NLT) — “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
INFORMATION: What Is Love
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) — “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
Four lies this passage exposes:
Lie 1: Love is a feeling — if it’s real, it comes naturally.
Patient and kind are not feelings — they are decisions you make even when you don’t feel like it, and every time Paul defines love in this passage, he uses a verb.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (NLT) — “Love is patient and kind… It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.”
Lie 2: I have to protect myself in relationships.
You can’t love with endurance and keep your walls up at the same time — and the people around you need you to love them with the Father’s heart.
1 Corinthians 13:7 (NLT) — “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”
Lie 3: If you love me, you should just know what I need.
Demanding your own way isn’t always loud — sometimes it’s silence, withdrawal, or the slow buildup of unspoken expectations and a record of wrongs the other person doesn’t even know exists.
1 Corinthians 13:5 (NLT) — “It does not demand its own way… it keeps no record of being wronged.”
Lie 4: Real relationships don’t require this much effort.
Walking away always costs you more than you know — Kingdom relationships require a loyalty you decide on in advance, before you know what it’s going to cost you.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT) — “Patient. Kind. Not jealous. Not proud. Not rude. Not irritable. Never gives up. Always hopeful. Endures everything.”
INSPIRATION: You Were Made for More
The love you’ve been looking for is the same love God has already been offering you.
1. Loneliness is real — and it’s about depth, not distance.
Studies show 63% of your neighbors experience loneliness right now.
1 John 4:19 (NLT) — “We love each other because he loved us first.”
2. What you believe about love determines how you live it.
If you believe love is a feeling, you’ll chase it or run from it.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) — “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.”
MOTIVATION: Why Love Feels Risky
Obstacle 1: “I’ve been hurt by people I trusted.”
That’s real — and Jesus doesn’t ask you to pretend it isn’t. But bitterness costs you more than it costs them, and the Father’s love is the only foundation strong enough to love from after being wounded.
Ephesians 4:31-32 (NLT) — “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Obstacle 2: “I don’t know how to love that way.”
Most of us learned love from imperfect people in imperfect homes — that’s not a life sentence, it’s a starting point. The Kingdom offers a new family, a new Father, and a new pattern.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) — “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.”
TRANSFORMATION: Where Kingdom Relationships Start
John 8:32 (NLT) — “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Identify one relationship where you’ve been self-protecting instead of truly connecting. Name it. Bring it to Jesus.
- This week — Take one step toward change. Love the people right in front of you — not when it’s convenient, but because you decided to.
- This month — Invite someone to connect at TC. Fall sessions launch August 19. Start praying now about who in your life needs to be in the room.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
July 5, 2026
OPENING
John 8:32 (NLT) — “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
INFORMATION: The Lies of Independence
Matthew 6:25-33 (NLT) — “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life — whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at how the lilies of the field grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
Four lies that independence produces — and what Jesus says about every one of them:
Lie 1: God cannot be trusted. Worry isn’t atheism — it’s a trust issue, and Jesus names it as a faith problem rooted in the belief that we have to figure things out ourselves.
James 1:17 (NLT) — “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.”
Lie 2: I have to protect myself in relationships. We call it wisdom, being careful, not getting hurt again — but when you fully understand your value to the Father, you no longer need others to prove it, and that’s what frees you to love.
John 13:34 (NLT) — “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
Lie 3: I have to provide for my own needs. This isn’t just a financial posture — it’s a survival identity. But the Father already knows what you need, and He wants to provide it.
Matthew 6:31-32 (NLT) — “Don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.”
Lie 4: My work is my value. It doesn’t sound like pride — it sounds like responsibility. But you were not made to prove yourself, and you were valuable before you produced a single thing.
Matthew 6:28-29 (NLT) — “Look at how the lilies of the field grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.”
INSPIRATION: What Dependence Looks Like
1. The exhaustion you feel has a name.
Matthew 11:28 (NLT) — “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
2. The longing for help is real.
1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) — “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
MOTIVATION: Why We Choose Independence
Obstacle 1: “I tried depending on God and it didn’t work out the way I thought it would.”
Romans 8:28 (NLT) — “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
Obstacle 2: “If I just trust God, nothing’s going to happen. I still have to do something.”
James 4:8 (NLT) — “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.”
TRANSFORMATION: Where Kingdom Living Starts
Matthew 6:33 (NLT) — “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Name the lie. Declare the truth.
- Daily — Remind yourself of truth.
- This week — Reach out to someone. Don’t do it alone.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
June 28, 2026
John 8:32 (NLT) — “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
How do we Worship In Freedom?
INFORMATION: Lies That Block Freedom
John 8:31-36 (NLT) — “Jesus said to the people who believed in him, ‘You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ ‘But we are descendants of Abraham,’ they said. ‘We have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean, you will be set free?’ Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.'”
Four lies Jesus dismantles right here:
Lie 1: “I was born free.”
The crowd said it out loud — we just think it. But Jesus is clear: everyone who sins is a slave to sin, and that’s everyone.
John 8:34 (NLT) — “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”
Lie 2: “I declared my freedom.”
A decision is a starting point, not a finish line — Jesus ties our freedom not just to deciding but to abiding and remaining.
John 8:31 (NLT) — “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
Lie 3: “I can maintain my freedom.”
True freedom can’t be self-managed, self-achieved, or self-maintained — it’s only found in Jesus.
John 8:36 (NLT) — “So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”
Lie 4: “My heritage guarantees my freedom.”
Growing up in church or a Christian home is a gift — but your lineage won’t get you true freedom. Only the Son does.
John 8:37-38 (NLT) — “I know you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there is no room in your hearts for my message.”
INSPIRATION: You Were Made to Live Free
1. You can’t earn it.
The work is finished. Past tense. Done. Settled. You don’t need to get it together before you turn to Him — the moment you turn, freedom is available.
Galatians 5:1 (NLT) — “So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.”
2. Transformation happens as we follow.
Freedom isn’t a one-time event — it’s the daily decision to let God renew the way you think.
Romans 12:2 (NLT) — “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
MOTIVATION: Finding True Freedom
Obstacle 1: “I go through the motions but I still don’t feel free.”
Religion without relationship keeps you declaring freedom without ever receiving it — freedom is found in abiding, staying genuinely connected to Him.
John 8:31 (NLT) — “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.”
Obstacle 2: “I grew up in church and it didn’t work.”
You didn’t fail — you just didn’t know what you didn’t know. Holy Spirit leads you into all truth, and that relationship is still available to you today.
Romans 10:9-10 (NLT) — “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”
TRANSFORMATION: Kingdom Living
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Invite someone to join you next Sunday as we launch Kingdom Living.
- Daily — Start your morning praying for the people God brought to mind — the friend, the coworker, the family member who are far away from the Father.
- This month — Keep inviting. Someone in your life needs hope. Someone needs to break free. Someone needs to come home to the Father.
Hope is designed to be given away.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
June 21, 2026
OPENING
Ephesians 4:7 (NLT) — “He has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.”
INFORMATION: Serving and Worshipping
Ephesians 4:2-7 (NLT) — “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father, who is over all, in all, and living through all. However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.”
Three things we don’t want to miss:
1. Jesus Promises Fruit The branch has one job — stay connected to the vine — and when you do, fruit shows up naturally. John 15:5 (NLT) — “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
2. Serving From Connection Is Worship The difference between worship and obligation isn’t what you’re doing — it’s where it’s coming from. John 15:4 (NLT) — “A branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.”
3. Fruit Reveals What’s Happening Inside T4 — Time, Talent, Treasure, Testimony — isn’t a measuring stick for commitment. It’s a window into connection. Matthew 7:16 (NLT) — “You can identify them by their fruit.”
INSPIRATION: When Serving Becomes Worship
Time
Ephesians 5:16 (NLT) “Make the most of every opportunity.”
Talent
Ephesians 4:7 (NLT) However, He has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.
Treasure
Luke 14:33 (NLT) “So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”
Testimony
Revelation 12:11 (NLT) — “They have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony.”
MOTIVATION: What Gets in the Way
Obstacle 1: “I serve, but it feels empty.” Empty serving is a connection problem, not a commitment problem — you don’t need to do more, you need to reconnect to the life source. John 10:10 (NLT) — “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”
Obstacle 2: “I don’t feel like I have enough to give.” God only asks for what He’s already placed in you — start where you are, give what you have, and trust the vine to produce the fruit. 2 Corinthians 8:12 (NLT) — “Whatever you give is acceptable if you give it eagerly. And give according to what you have, not what you don’t have.”
TRANSFORMATION: Let Your Life Be the Offering
Colossians 3:23 (NLT) — “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.”
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Identify which T feels most like obligation right now: Time, Talent, Treasure, or Testimony. That’s not a failure — it’s an invitation to bring that area back to Jesus.
- Daily — Before you give this week, take sixty seconds: Lord, this is Yours before it’s mine. Before you use your gift: God, use this for Your purposes. Before you share your story: Holy Spirit, open the door. Small posture shift. Everything changes.
- This week — Pray that God would reveal new ways to worship Him in your everyday giving.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
June 14, 2026
OPENING
John 8:32 (NLT) — “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
INFORMATION: The 3 Lies You’ve Been Told
Acts 1:8 (NLT) — “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Lie 1: Sharing about Jesus is only for a select few.
Jesus didn’t say “you will be my experts” — a witness shares what they’ve experienced, not what they’ve mastered.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NLT) — “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Lie 2: Church is a location where ministry takes place.
The Greek word Jesus used for “church” is ekklesia — a gathering of people, not a building. You don’t leave your family on Sunday and never speak to them the rest of the week.
Matthew 18:20 (NLT) — “For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.”
Lie 3: Revival is a thing you attend.
Revival is not an event on the third week of July — it’s the fruit of truth applied, and Holy Spirit poured out in your everyday life.
Acts 2:42-47 (NLT) — “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer… And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.”
INSPIRATION: Let Your Light Shine
1. Your story is your worship
When you tell someone what Jesus has done for you — what changed, what’s different, what you have now that you didn’t have before — that’s worship in revival.
Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT) — “You are the light of the world — like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.”
2. Revival leaves the building
A feeling that only impacts you on Sunday isn’t revival — it’s just a good service. Jesus wants you Sent On A Mission, to take his light into your everyday life.
Romans 1:16 (NLT) — “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.”
MOTIVATION: The Lies That Blind
Obstacle 1: “I don’t feel qualified.” Jesus didn’t say you will be his experts — a witness shares what they’ve experienced, and your life changed by Jesus is all the qualification you need.
Acts 1:8 (NLT) — “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses.”
Obstacle 2: “I might say the wrong thing.” Your role is to share what Jesus has done in your life — Jesus handles the harvest.
1 Peter 3:15 (NLT) — “You must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”
TRANSFORMATION: Take Revival With You
Acts 2:38 (NLT) — “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- Today — Write down what God has done for you. That’s your story. That’s your witness.
- Daily — Start each day with a prayer for boldness. Ask Holy Spirit to open doors and give you the courage to walk through them.
- This week — Be a witness. Find one person and tell them what Jesus has done in your life.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
June 7, 2026
OPENING
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) — “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly places.”
INFORMATION: The War You’re In
Matthew 7:7-11 (NLT) — “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
Three things from this passage we don’t want to miss:
1. Prayer Is How the Battle Is Actually Fought
Matthew 7:7 (NLT) — “Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
2. Persistent Prayer Is Built on Trust
Matthew 7:9-10 (NLT) — “You parents — if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not!”
3. The Father Gives Good Gifts
Matthew 7:11 (NLT) — “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”
INSPIRATION: Heaven Is Listening
1. The Lord hears your prayers.
Daniel 10:12 (NLT) — “Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.”
2. We are in a battle.
Ephesians 6:12 (NLT) — “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly places.”
3. We have a weapon that is supernatural.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 (NLT) — “We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.”
MOTIVATION: Pray Truth
Obstacle 1: “I don’t know what to pray.”
Isaiah 55:11 (NLT) — “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”
Obstacle 2: “I don’t know how to pray.”
Hebrews 4:15-16 (NLT) — “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”
TRANSFORMATION
Ephesians 3:16-19 (NLT) — “I pray that from God’s glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
THREE CALLS TO ACTION:
- This week — Lock into praying scripture over whatever you’re facing. Scan the QR code and tap “Prayer” — there’s a tool there to make it easy.
- Daily — Pray out loud. Even five minutes. There’s something about speaking your prayers that changes everything.
- This week — Invite one person into your prayer life. Pray together for personal breakthrough, and pray for someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet.
Following Jesus, Sent On A Mission
The Community
